After losing in the district finals two straight years, and waiting nearly 30 years since their last championship, the Knox County Eagles finally got over the hump in 2012.

Then they just kept going. The Eagles earned a berth to the state playoffs with a win over rival Scotland County in the Class 1, District 9 title game, 4-3. Brienna Priebe homered, while Devin Gudehus hit a home run and also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Pitcher Rachel Poston struck out eight.

Cruising through

Knox County opened the state tournament with a 13-0 pummeling of La Plata in a Class 1 sectional. Poston held the Bulldogs scoreless and struck out 12, while the offense gave her more than enough support. The Eagles scored 10 runs in the third inning, highlighted by Hannah Strange’s two-run home run.

In the state quarterfinal against Cairo, it was Devin Gudehus coming up with a two-run home run in the fifth inning as part of a four-run rally that lifted the Eagles to a 9-6 win. Poston managed 11 strikeouts in the complete-game effort that sent Knox to the Final Four.

With honors

Seven seniors led the way for Knox County in 2012 (Bailey Couch, Rachel Poston, Devin Gudehus, Mackenzie Hustead, Hannah Strange, Olivia Nichols and Mackenzie Kaylor). The Eagles finished with a 22-4 record overall, and took fourth place at the state tournament after losses to Silex (9-2) and King City (5-1). It was the first time a Knox softball team had been in the Final Four since 1981.

Bailey Couch was named Daily Express Player of the Year, batting .500 and driving in 34 runs, all while anchoring the team from behind the plate. Head coach Marcie Stansberry was named Daily Express Coach of the Year, while Rachel Poston, Devin Gudehus and Mackenzie Hustead were all first-team all-Express picks.